Shipwreck Kelly, Famed Flagpole Sitter of the 1920s and 1930s, Climbed Poles in Pelham

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Aloysius Anthony Kelly, also known as Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly, was the world's most famous flagpole sitter during the 1920s when that fad washed over the United States.  Eventually Shipwreck Kelly turned his odd avocation into the basis for an occupation and, occasionally, brought his work to Pelham to the delight of the local newspaper and residents.

How could Kelly possibly have begun his exploits as a flagpole sitter?  Stories, of course, differ.  He once spoke with a reporter for The Pelham Sun who subsequently reported as follows:  

"Kelly acquired his flagpole sitting propensities by inheritance his parents having been caught in the Mississippi floods of 1895 and being forced to live for several weeks in a tree top.  This happened shortly before the arrival of the baby who was destined to become the world's most famous flag-pole sitter.  Kelly's early days were spent in the Navy, and he used practice sitting on the top of the masts of a sailing ship whenever he had the chance.  His most noteworthy feat would have been accomplished in France where he and another flagpole sitter whose name we can't remember just now, were to give an exhibition of toe-dancing on top of Eiffel Tower.  The other fellow started off, but his foot slipped and Kelly was not allowed to dance until the regular period of mourning had expired.  His ship sailed before that time."  (See below for the full text of the article.)

Another source supplements the story as follows:

"Kelly climbed his first pole at the age of seven, and at nine he performed a "human fly" trick, climbing up the side of a building.  He is credited with popularizing the pole-sitting fad after sitting atop a flagpole in 1924, either in response to a dare from a friend or as a publicity stunt to draw customers to a Philadelphia department store.  In January of that year he sat on a pole for 13 hours and 13 minutes to publicize a movie.   In 1926, Kelly set a record by sitting atop a flagpole in St. Louis, Missouri for seven days and one hour; in June 1927, he planned to beat that record by sitting for eight days in Newark, New Jersey.  He would end up sitting atop the Newark pole for twelve days, and on a pole in Baltimore's Carlin's Park for 23 days in 1929.  In 1930 he set a world record by sitting on a flagpole on top of the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, 225 feet (69 m) high, for 49 days and one hour."

Source:  "Alvin 'Shipwreck' Kelly" in Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia (visited Dec. 2, 2017).  

Kelly parlayed his celebrity status as a flagpole sitter into cold, hard cash.  He went on multi-city tours (as many as 28 on a single tour), "charging admission to people who wanted to stand on roofs to see his performance stunts."  Id.  In addition, he "earned an income from endorsements, personal appearance and books about his life."  Id.   At one point he captured the attention of Pelham and the surrounding region when he sat atop the flagpole above the City Hall in the City of Mount Vernon, Pelham's next door neighbor. 

With the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, willingness to pay to see such pursuits waned and Kelly's flagpole sitting days virtually ended.  In 1934 he worked as a gigolo in Roseland, a Broadway "dime-a-dance" hall.  

Kelly seems to have continued to yearn to climb poles even after opportunities for flagpole sitting had mostly dried up.  In 1935 he showed up in Pelham.  On July 5, 1935, the local newspaper reported that Kelly had "a couple of jobs of flagpole painting to do in Pelham during the next few days."  The report added, however, that Kelly remained "open to any offers for flagpole sitting." 

Three years later, on July 7, 1938, Shipwreck Kelly had another job in Pelham.  He was hired to paint the sixty-foot flagpole that stood in Memorial Park next to Town Hall at 34 Fifth Avenue.  The Pelham Sun reported: 

"Kelly's visit to Pelham yesterday was a small assignment for him -- painting the 60-foot flagpole at Memorial Park, adjacent to the Town Hall.  There were only a few passersby who stopped to watch the man swinging from a bosun's chair applying paint to the flagpole, but none of them were aware that they were watching a master at his game.  Kelly was on the Pelham flagpole only 26 minutes -- hardly a record of endurance, but could you paint that pole in that short time?"

Shipwreck Kelly seems to have parlayed his successful flagpole-painting session in Memorial Park into an additional job in Pelham a few days later.  In those days there was a massive 126-foot radio tower that stood next to Town Hall.  The radio "mast" was used for radio communications by the police departments of all three villages.  Thus, the cost of maintenance of the huge structure was shared by all three villages.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, July 13, 1938, Kelly climbed to the top of the radio tower to inspect it.  According to one report he found that:  "the bolts near the top of the tower had become loosened and advised that guy wires be erected to prevent the structure from swaying.  He told a Pelham Sun reporter that should the mast sway just a bit too much it would snap off near the base and probably crash through the Town Hall."  That night, the Village Board of the Village of North Pelham awarded Kelly the contract for painting the radio mast.  Kelly agreed to do the work for $25 with each village paying one-third of the cost.

Over the next two weeks, Kelly began the work.  This time he needed help.   

Kelly hired 21-year-old Charles Gilmore, of 10 Morris Street in New Rochelle.  In addition to their work, the two men seemed to have enjoy the after-hours social life of the Town of Pelham.  In the wee hours of the night on July 28, 1938, the residents of Pelhamwood were awakened by shouting in the area of the Highbrook Avenue railroad overpass of the New Haven Main Line.  Mrs. John H. Young of 226 Highbrook Avenue called the North Pelham police shortly after midnight and complained that someone was shouting under the railroad arch on Highbrook avenue.  

When police arrived, they found Shipwreck Kelly in a roadster with young Charles Gilmore who was quite drunk.  When police arrived, Gilmore became "violent" and was hauled off to a local hospital to be dried out.  

Kelly must have finished the work of painting the radio tower, with or without Gilmore.  Several months later the local newspaper reported that the Village of Pelham Manor had sent a check to the Village of North Pelham for $8.33 to cover its one-third share of the cost of painting the tower.  

 Shipwreck Kelly died in Sarasota, Florida on October 11, 1952, his flagpole-sitting exploits nearly forgotten and his body unclaimed in the morgue.  Yet, on at least two occasions in 1938, Pelhamites were able to watch the once-famous pole-sitter climbing high into the skies of Pelham, evoking his days of glory during the 1920s.

Shipwreck Kelly Seated Atop a Flagpole in 1942.

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"Have You Any Flagpoles For Kelly To Sit On?
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Albert Prevost, whose sobriquet of 'Shipwreck Key,' revives the memories of days not long since when he had a yen for defying the elements, dismissing fatigue, and glorifying loss of sleep, the while he was perched on top of a flagpole is with us again.  The husky pole-sitter was in town on Tuesday seeking more worlds to conquer, or an opportunity to pursue his regular vocation as a steeplejack, and a painter of flagpoles.

Kelly acquired his flagpole sitting propensities by inheritance his parents having been caught in the Mississippi floods of 1895 and being forced to live for several weeks in a tree top.  This happened shortly before the arrival of the baby who was destined to become the world's most famous flag-pole sitter.

Kelly's early days were spent in the Navy, and he used practice sitting on the top of the masts of a sailing ship whenever he had the chance.  His most noteworthy feat would have been accomplished in France where he and another flagpole sitter whose name we can't remember just now, were to give an exhibition of toe-dancing on top of Eiffel Tower.  The other fellow started off, but his foot slipped and Kelly was not allowed to dance until the regular period of mourning had expired.  His ship sailed before that time. 

For the last few years Shipwreck Kelly has sat on flagpole tops in all parts of the United States for periods of 30 days upward.  His record was a sitting covering 93 days at San Francisco ten years ago.  He has perched on top of the flagpole at City Hall Mount Vernon and in every principal city in the country.

He has a couple of jobs of flagpole painting to do in Pelham during the next few days, but is open to any offers for flagpole sitting."

Source:  Have You Any Flagpoles For Kelly To Sit On?, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 5, 1935, p. 4, col. 4.  

"Shipwreck Kelly In Reverse, Stays Here 26 Minutes
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Alvin 'Shipwreck' Kelly seldom makes as short a stay in one place as he did in Pelham.  Usually whenever Mr. Kelly comes to town he takes up a residence of at least a week at the top of one of the tallest flagpoles and his presence attracts attention far and wide.  In face, some of his endurance tests on his unusual perch have gained him national publicity.  However his visit in Pelham lasted less than one half hour.  He stopped no traffic and there were few citizens who paused to observe him.  

Kelly's visit to Pelham yesterday was a small assignment for him -- painting the 60-foot flagpole at Memorial Park, adjacent to the Town Hall.  There were only a few passersby who stoped to watch the man swinging from a bosun's chair applying paint to the flagpole, but none of them were aware that they were watching a master at his game.  Kelly was on the Pelham flagpole only 26 minutes -- hardly a record of endurance, but could you paint that pole in that short time?"

Source:  Shipwreck Kelly In Reverse, Stays Here 26 Minutes, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 8, 1938, p. 5, col. 6. 

"'Shipwreck' Kelly Returns To Paint Town Radio Mast
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'Shipwreck' Kelly, world-famous flag-pole sitter, who painted the 60-foot flagpole at Memorial Park, adjacent to the Town Hall in North Pelham last week, will be seen in action again within the next week.  Kelly was awarded the contract for the painting of the 126-foot radio mast adjacent to Town Hall, at a meeting of the Villlage Board, Wednesday night.

Kelly climbed the mast on a tour of inspection Wednesday afternoon and reported to members of the Village Board that the bolts near the top of the tower had become loosened and advised that guy wires be erected to prevent the structure from swaying.  He told a Pelham Sun reporter that should the mast sway just a bit too much it would snap off near the base and probably crash through the Town Hall.  Members of the Board decided to investigate the possibility of bracing the mast.

Kelly painted the 60-foot flagpole in 26 minutes last week and may be out to break a record when he starts on the 126-foot tower."

Source:  "Shipwreck" Kelly Returns To Paint Town Radio Mast, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 15, 1938, p. 4, cols 2-3.  

"New Rochelle Man Taken To Hospital After Disturbance
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Charles Gilmore, 21, of No. 10 Morris street, New Rochelle, was committed to Grasslands early yesterday morning after North Pelham police found him creating a disturbance on Highbrook avenue near Harmon avenue in Pelhamwood.  Patrolman George Burrows and John Lomax took the man to the New Rochelle Hospital where Dr. Wilkinson pronounced Gilmore suffering from an alcoholic condition and ordered his removal to Grasslands.

Gilmore was in a roadster with 'Shipwreck' Kelly of New Rochelle, who has been painting the radio mast next to the Town Hall in North Pelham.  Mrs. John H. Young of No. 226 Highbrook avenue, Pelhamwood, telephoned the North Pelham police shortly after midnight and complained that someone was shouting under the railroad arch on Highbrook avenue.  Police said Gilmore, who has been assisting Kelly in painting the mast, was violent and they immediately removed him to the hospital."

Source:  New Rochelle Man Taken To Hospital After Disturbance, The Pelham Sun, Jul. 29, 1938, p. 8, col. 6. 

"Pays Share of Painting Cost

The Village of Pelham Manor has sent its check for $8.33 to North Pelham.  Th sum represents one-third of the cost of painting the radio mast at the Town Hall which is operated as a receiving station for the three village police departments.  Shipwreck Kelly did the painting job."

Source:  Pays Share of Painting Cost, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 14, 1938, p. 5, col. 3.

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